Digging

 

No other construction firms were awarded direct economic development incentives, grants, or major funding by GoTopeka/JEDO in the same manner as typical business expansion projects (the primary focus of the JEDO Meeting Documents).

JEDO/GoTopeka almost exclusively awards performance-based incentives (tax abatements, cash grants, training funds, etc.) to operating businesses for job creation and capital investment — not to general contractors or construction companies for bidding on or performing construction work. Construction costs are sometimes mentioned as part of a recipient company’s project (e.g., building a new facility), but the construction firm itself is not the awardee.

The Only Direct/Related Awards Identified

After reviewing all Contracts/Resolutions/Proposals, agendas, minutes, and reports (2000–2026):

• Champion Builders (2018) Awarded a direct JEDO contract (C1-2018) as the general contractor for the East Topeka Learning Center Renovation. This is the clearest example of a construction firm receiving a construction-related award from JEDO.
• Torgeson Electric Company (2022) Awarded a performance-based incentive contract (Torgeson Incentive Contract – Executed) for business expansion. The agreement explicitly references use of funds for construction/remodel work on real property and is tied to job creation and investment (estimated incentive value in the low-to-mid six figures range depending on performance).

Other Notes

• Small Business Incentive Program (various years, especially 2023–2025): This program reimburses small businesses for “Construction” costs as one category of eligible expenses. However, the recipients are the small businesses themselves (e.g., retailers, service companies), not construction firms. No construction companies appear as awardees in the public summaries.
• Incidental mentions (e.g., Kelly Construction for a Washburn Tech project or Mammoth Sports Construction in a small-business presentation) are references to subcontractors chosen by other entities or participants in broader programs — not direct JEDO awards.
• No other firms with “Construction,” “Builders,” “Contracting,” or similar names received incentives or contracts.

In short, Farrell Construction has zero hits (as previously reported), and the list of true “awarded construction firms” is extremely short — essentially just the two examples above. JEDO’s role is economic development, not public-works construction contracting (which is handled separately by the City of Topeka or Shawnee County through standard bidding processes).

If you have a specific year, project, or different definition of “construction firm” (or want me to pull the exact PDFs for Champion Builders or Torgeson), just say the word!